I’m not a HUGE Ruth Ware fan…in fact, she has been consistently inconsistent for me. In 2016, The Woman in Cabin 10 was a big hit, and I was among those who enjoyed it – a LOT. 2019’s Turn of the Key was a 3-star “meh” for me, then One By One and The It Girl, were both four solid stars. Now, thanks to Gallery Books/ Scout Books and NetGalley, I had the opportunity to read Ms. Ware’s latest, Zero Days, in exchange for my honest review.
The premise seems perfect for a movie: think Mission Impossible style action as the married team of Jacinda (“Jack”) and Gabe, who have a company that specializes in pen testing. Basically, Gabe was a reformed hacker who spent some time locked up for his exploits and then decided to go straight. He partnered with Jack to explore and report on security, both physical and digital, focusing on reporting on the results of their efforts to test how the companies’ assets might be penetrated. Hence, pen testing!
During what should have been a fairly routine test of a business, Jack is shocked to return to their home and find Gabe murdered. And it seems she is their number one suspect. Her only chance to make things right is to figure out who, if anyone, she can trust, and then solve the question of who and why wanted Gabe dead.
Jack goes on the run, and the reader is dragged through the streets and countryside looking for answers. The descriptions of what she has to endure when she is injured are incredibly vivid, and although I found the resolution a bit too neat and the epilogue a bit of a cliché, overall I enjoyed it and think the movie will be great fun. Four stars